Insurance coverages that matter

Who this is for

Founder led lower-middle market companies with 5 to 50 million in annual revenue that want sensible protection without waste.

The quick answer

Common needs include commercial general liability, property and business interruption, professional liability if you deliver services, product liability if you ship goods, cyber, directors and officers, and employment practices liability. Set limits by contract requirements and risk. Review with a broker each year and after major changes.

The method in seven steps

Map risks and contracts
List customer and landlord requirements. Note revenue concentration, product risk, and data exposure.
Select core policies
Commercial general liability. Property and business interruption. Professional liability for services. Product liability for goods. Cyber for data and systems. Directors and officers for governance risk. Employment practices liability.
Set limits and deductibles
Base limits on contract needs and loss scenarios. Choose deductibles you can absorb.
Add key endorsements
Consider additional insured wording, waiver of subrogation, and primary and non contributory clauses when contracts require them.
Choose a broker with stage fit
Pick a broker who regularly supports firms at your size. Ask for a single point of contact and a response service level.
Prepare a claims playbook
Write who to call, what to document, and how to preserve evidence. Store policy numbers and broker contacts in one place.
Review annually and on change
After a new product launch, location change, or large contract, review coverage and limits.

Example

A light manufacturer added employment practices liability and improved cyber coverage after landing a large retail customer with strict data terms. The broker prepared a claims playbook which reduced stress when an incident occurred.

Pitfalls and fixes

Buying coverage you do not need. Map risks first.
Limits that do not match contracts. Check each new customer template.
Claims confusion. Prepare a short playbook.

Checklist

Risk map and contract terms
Core policies and limits
Endorsements for key contracts
Broker and claims playbook
Annual and change reviews